The Monster I Am
please don't steal the code! ◓ THE MONSTER I AM This is a short story about Burn for Luster, regarding her 2016 Christmas Wishlist. Enjoy. ◒ ◓ I walked through the lonely corridors covered with grime, dipped in dust, painted with gloom. Carvings of lizards and suns plagued the walls, making it look like monsters were moving under the dirt. Torches flickered dimly, as if not wanting to compete with the darkness. Sand swirled up like rearing snakes as my talons scraped the floor. I narrowed my eyes as I rounded a bend, for bright sunlight shone at the end of the hall. As I approached the light, two guards bowed when they saw me. I simply ignored them. A dragon was waiting for me a few paces away, in the center of the courtyard. I glared at him as I headed towards him. He shifted uncomfortably, even though I always did this. He looked exactly like Blister. My brother gave me a deep bow, trying to avoid eye contact. "Your Majesty," he said. "What do you want, Smolder?" I growled as he stood back up. He rarely called me that unless he wanted something. "N-nothing, my Queen," Smolder replied, fiddling with one of the keys that hung on his neck. He always did that when he was nervous. "Nothing at all." I leaned towards him, hissing, "Then why drag me here? Why bow so low? You do not act that way, Ssssmolder." He gulped a bit, looking very nervous. "W-well, Y-your Ma-ajesty, I was simply w-wondering if..." I glared hard at him, my gaze trapping him there. "Wondering what?" I spat. Smolder looked at his talons, and murmured, "I would like to have a break. I've been working hard lately-" "NO!" I roared. "YOU MUST EARN YOUR BREAK! YOU DO NOT DESERVE ONE!" He flinched back, cowering at the sight of my anger. Before I knew what was going on, I saw my talon swinging through the air, aimed at Smolder's throat. He staggered back, barely missing my sharp claws. My head swung towards him, and I felt my jaws open. Fire blasted out of my mouth, reaching for my brother. Smolder turned around and shot into the air. My tail swung towards him, stopping just as he got out of reach. I stood there, panting. Every dragon in the courtyard was staring at me. I turned in a circle, glaring at them all. Surely I looked crazy. "GET BACK TO WORK, NOW!" I bellowed, then stomped back down one of the tunnels. Moonlight wafted through my window, bathing everything in silvery light. I was laying on countless blankets and pillows, reflecting what had happened earlier today. There was no conscious thought involved. My talons were just there, flying towards my brother's neck. I didn't summon the fire that came next, that I was certain of. It had just come, fueled by my rage. My tail had decided by itself to strike at Smolder. And what had he done? Ask for a break. Just that. He hadn't even said how long. I sighed, sinking deeper into my nest. A mouse skittered across my floor, looking for any bits of food that had been left behind. Its pale nose twitched, and its beady eyes surveyed the floor. As I turned my head towards it, it let out a shrill squeak and vanished into a crack in the wall. I stared at the crack, wondering why it had run away. All I had done was look at it. I hadn't even tried to hurt it. Did it think I was a monster? Me? How foolish, I was not one at all. Then I remembered all the dragons I had slaughtered, many out of pure rage. Enemies on the battlefield froze and tried to get away from my merciless claws, when all I had done was fly up to them. Many had screamed at me, usually before dying, that I was a cruel monster. Even my own soldiers avoided me sometimes. That's what happens to monsters, a voice in my head whispered. Everyone runs away from them upon first glance. Monsters don't realize they're monsters. "But I'm not a monster," I whispered quietly, my voice as soft as fallen leaves. "I'm not." I curled up, hiding myself in my wings. Tears flowed softly down my face, soaking into the silk blankets underneath me. Stop it, my mind shouted. You're a queen! Queens do not cry! Stop crying right now! More tears rolled down my snout. I curled up even more and wished for sleep to come. And it did come, quickly and quietly. The dream I had next was more of a memory. ~~ I was flying through the desert sky, stretching my massive wings as I went faster and faster. I had just come out for a quick fly, to get away from the stronghold for a moment. Sometimes, fighting a huge war and yelling at useless dragons was tiring. Wind surged past me, trying to knock me off balance. I snorted at its foolish attempt. A courtyard was below me, shimmering with heat from the sun. Dragonets were playing, pretending to be soldiers. They were screeching like seagulls and romping around like water buffalo, and to my surprise I actually smiled at them. Actual soldiers were sparring, their talons flying gas they clawed their opponents with such viciousness that I flinched a little, or cleaning weapons, making sure it shone so much when the sun hit it, someone could be blinded. Some were even cooking small meals, the glorious scents filling the afternoon air, covering up the smell of death and rot. A few dared to sleep, their chests rising and falling peacefully. As I landed with a thump on the sandstone, the three dragonets playing whirled around at the sudden noise. They all screamed when they saw me, their eyes widening with fright. One fainted, and the other two flew away as quick as they could. The dragonet that had fainted woke up, saw me, and screamed again. "Monster!" she had screeched. "Monster!" And with that she flew away, following her friends. I had stared at her, confused. Was she talking about me? ~~ Sunlight poured through my window, soaking into everything. I lifted my head groggily, squinting as the sudden orange light filled my eyes. The dream I had last night... Did that prove I was a monster? I sat up, shaking my head in despair. I didn't want to be a monster. I wanted to be a strong queen, favored by my subjects. I wanted dragonets to look up at me as a role model. I wanted to be wanted. I stood up quickly, and growled. No. I was not a monster. And I would prove it. Today, I would apologize to Smolder, give him his break, and let the soldiers have extra rations. I opened my polished wooden door and stepped out into the dusty bright hallway, determined to fufill this goal, no matter what. ◒ Category:Fanfictions Category:Fanfictions (Completed) Category:Genre (Short Story) Category:Genre (Tragedy) Category:Fanfictions (Canon) Category:Content (Infinity-Da-Dragon)